The present inventin relates in general to waffle irons and more specifically to waffle irons employed in baking belgian style waffles.
A popular form of waffle commonly referred to as a belgian style waffle is a fairly thick waffle made from light batter in such a manner that fairly deep rectangular indentations of one-half or more inches deep are provided on each surface of the waffle to facilitate the retention of dessert type toppings, fruits and syrups thereon. In order to make such thick waffles of light weight batter it is necessary to employ fairly heavy, bulky waffle iron constructions which have typified the construction of belgian waffle irons. Such irons have generally be made of cast iron and originally were gas fired or heated over coal. The thick heavy cast iron construction of the irons facilitated maintenance of heat and heat transfer throughout the iron to the waffle batter maintained between mating iron members or plates with irons being periodically turned over during the baking process. Waffle iron apparatus which have facilitated such turning of the waffle iron parts or plates have been made in a manner to insure the continued maintenance of the heavy, cast iron parts of the iron in assembled operable relation. Concern has been given heretofore with making the sturdy cast iron construction irons for durability, with the ease of cleaning and servicing thereof being generally overlooked. In the more modern day belgian style waffle irons, electrical heating elements have been utilized in the waffle iron members requiring suitable electrical connections to provide electricity to the heat source, the electrical heating elements. Exemplary thereof is the waffle iron of prior Design Patent Des. No. 253,217.
In the waffle iron construction of the apparatus of design patent DES. No. 253,271, a cast aluminum base was utilized with cast aluminum waffle grid providing members permanently mounted in pivotal relationship upon the base. Thermostat controlled electrical connectors engage the electrical heating elements of the grid providing members in a disconnectable manner while the associated electrical conduits were secured in fixed relation to electrical means permanenetly secured within the iron base in a manner generally referred to as "hard" wiring in the electrical field. A similarly connected power line ran from the base to an electrical source such as a conventional wall electrical receptacle. While the thermostat connections to the waffle grid providing members could be easily disconnected, the waffle grid providing members, the electrical connections and the electrical components were not easily removable from the waffle iron base for cleaning or servicing.
It is therefore the primary object of the present invention to disclose and provide an improved belgian style waffle iron apparatus wherein the waffle grid providing members, electrical connections therefore and electrical components associated with the iron base are all easily disconnected via simple manipulations.
It is a further object to provide an improved belgian style waffle iron apparatus as in the foregoing object wherein the major portions of the iron apparatus are provided in subassemblies or components which are individually removably mounted to the totally assembled iron apparatus in such a manner that the subassemblies or components can be individually or collectively removed for ease of cleaning of all of the iron apparatus parts, for servicing of individual parts which may wear out or deteriorate or alternatively to replace an individual subassembly or component without requiring a substantial "down time" for the apparatus which would detract from its suitability for use in commercial operations, such as in restaurant baking of waffles where it would be not only inconvenient, but commercially undesirable to have any extended interruption in the waffle baking operations.